On September 3, 2026, the School Board of the Kearsarge Regional School District voted to “adopt a two-school elementary configuration as the district’s long-term operating goal” and “begin preparation for the closure” of the Sutton Central and Simonds Elementary Schools.

This is a BIG plan with BIG implications for the district, and while there’s a lot we don’t yet know, there’s also a lot that we do:

How Much Would Closing Two Schools Actually Save Taxpayers?

• The School Board hasn’t yet determined the tax numbers for how much money consolidating schools would actually save taxpayers from all seven towns.

• Because the consolidation plan requires an $18-20 million addition on Bradford Elementary and updates to New London Elementary, taxpayers in ANY town in the District wouldn’t see tax savings for 6-7 years.

• A Tax Savings Calculator prepared by the District does not use current property valuations, despite several towns recently going through the 5-year property tax re-evaluation process.

Where Would Sutton and Warner Kids Go Without Their Schools?

• The District’s current plans suggest sending Warner kids to Bradford, requiring an $18-20 million addition on Bradford to accommodate all of the students as noted above.

• Sutton students would be bused to New London Elementary, placing the school at 92% capacity and “leaving little room for expansion if needed” according to a document shared with the Board.

• Alternately, 5th Graders from all 7 towns could join Kearsarge Regional Middle School.

• Consolidating down to two schools would also significantly increase class sizes at Bradford and New London Elementary by combining classes up to a max of 24 students.

• School enrollments vary over time, and an analysis shared with the School Board specifically stated that total K-5 enrollment estimates could vary by up to 150 students by 2034-35.

• An increased student population in future decades could require expanding the Bradford and New London schools yet again, or even building a brand-new school to accommodate more students.

How Would Busing Work?

• A transportation study showing how busing would work for a combined elementary school system—especially with fewer students walking to school—is slated to take place in October.

• Some students across the district currently spend up to 2 hours on the bus each day, and the district is already operating with a bare minimum of bus drivers on consolidated bus routes.

• Fuel costs are increasing, with an increase of $100,000 for diesel fuel budgeted for next year.

What Would Happen to My Child’s Teachers?

• A consolidation document shared with the Board calls for a net reduction of 3 teachers at Bradford Elementary and 4 teachers at New London Elementary.

• The same document also suggests that “staff morale will likely be impacted by reduced or re-assigned positions” by consolidating schools.

What Are Communities and Families Saying in the 7 Towns?

• The School Board hired Hanover Research to conduct a community survey on school consolidation across all seven towns. The survey was only open for two weeks and the School Board voted to move toward the two-school plan before survey results were in.

• The Hanover community survey closed on September 11, and as of this writing, the results have not yet been released to the public.

• Families are already choosing alternative education pathways. Potential or real school closures will accelerate this trend and lower enrollment in all of the District schools.

What Would Happen to the Empty Elementary School Buildings?

• If closed, Simonds Elementary would be inherited by descendants of the Dow family who gifted the land for a school in 1871, requiring a costly and complicated legal process by the district to find the new legal owners.

• If closed, Sutton Elementary could go back to the town, causing taxpayer money and administrative trouble, or be sold by the District.

• Without a definite plan in place, it’s possible that both buildings could end up vacant.

What About Economic and Other Impacts on the 7 Towns?

• Research shows that when elementary schools close, property values go down, including up to 13% in one study conducted by researchers at Michigan State.

• In nearby Danbury NH, many families moved away after their elementary school closed this past summer 2026.

• The seven towns of the Kearsarge District have tight community ties: people from one town work, shop, and socialize all across the district. Not having a local elementary school means fewer young families moving to the area as the Kearsarge region continues to age, affecting long-term economic growth, infrastructure, and community across all seven towns.

• The short- and long-term economic costs to businesses in Sutton, Warner, and surrounding towns have not yet been evaluated.

• In short, what happens to one town’s elementary school affects the other towns around it